A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Sunday near Tonga, a nation of more than 170 islands in the South Pacific Ocean.

On a calm Monday morning, a powerful reminder of nature's unpredictability shook Tonga, as a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck just 79 km SSE of Pangai. The earthquake, occurring at 01:18 local time (12:18 GMT Sunday),

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake jolted 79 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga, at 1:18 local time on Monday, the US Geological Survey said.

A magnitude 7 earthquake struck in the hours of the Monday morning centred 79 kilometres south-southeast of Pangai in the Ha'apai group of islands.

A preliminary 7.1 magnitude earthquake that hit Tonga late Sunday night does not pose a tsunami threat to Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Days after Myanmar's deadly earthquake, the Pacific island country, Tonga, jolted with a magnitude 7.0 earthquake.According to CBS News, a major earthquake hit an archipelago nation in the South Pacific Ocean that comprises some 170 islands

Tonga's National Disaster Risk Management Office says there have been no reports of damage in the kingdom after a magnitude 7 earthquake.

A tsunami warning was initially issued but has since been lifted.